WASHINGTON - The U.S. Army has approved the purchase of more than $29 million worth of weapons for the new Iraqi army from a Chinese state-owned company that's under indictment in California in connection with the smuggling of 2,000 AK-47 automatic rifles into the United States in 1996.
The haul remains the largest seizure of smuggled automatic weapons in U.S. history.
Army Lt. Col. Joe Yoswa, a Pentagon spokesman, said the Warren, Mich.-based U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command approved the contract for Poly Technologies after a check into the company's background. The company wasn't among those banned from doing business in the United States, he said.
The Beijing-based firm is to deliver 2,369 light and heavy machine guns, 14,653 AK-47 rifles and 72 million rounds of ammunition worth $29.3 million by Saturday, according to a Pentagon statement.
It isn't clear whether the deal, which comes as the Bush administration is pressing the European Union to maintain an embargo on high-tech arms sales to China, was discussed or approved by higher-ranking officials at the State and Defense departments. Hungary, Poland and Romania, all members of the U.S.-led military coalition in Iraq, could supply the same weapons. China opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Poly Technologies won the competitively bid $29.3 million contract in February from The International Trading Establishment, a Jordan-based consortium. The U.S. Army selected the consortium to supply Iraq's fledgling security forces with as much as $174.4 million worth of radios, night-vision equipment, weapons and ammunition. The consortium comprises coalition partners of corporations from the Czech Republic, Spain and Jordan.
Iraq is awash in AK-47s and other weapons, but American commanders want new weapons for the new army??? (The Halliburton 'FACTOR'???)
Dynasty Holding of Atlanta, the name under which Poly Technologies did business in the United States, was charged in the smuggling case, along with 14 co-defendants, including Bao Ping "Robert" Ma, a former Chinese army general who was the firm's U.S. representative, according to the May 1996 federal grand jury indictment. (Yes, but none of the American news media would tell the public how Bill Clinton compromised this whole investigation, as it would've PUT HIM IN JAIL! )
Ma and three co-defendants were also charged with smuggling 20,000 AK-47 bipods into the United States from China in December 1994. http://www.ak47world.com/clinton.html
Ma is a fugitive believed to be in China, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). (Of course he is, as the Communists don't want his 'connection' to Bill Clinton to taint Hillary's further political 'aspirations'!)
The 30-count indictment stemmed from a sting operation mounted by undercover U.S. Treasury and U.S. Customs Service agents, who posed as organized-crime arms dealers.
The agents paid $700,000 for 2,000 fully automatic AK-47s that were shipped into Oakland, Calif., aboard a Chinese-owned vessel from China in March 1996.
The shipment, which had an approximate street value of more than $4 million, also included about 4,000 AK-47 drum magazines capable of holding up to 40 rounds each? (The idiots don't know that Chinese drums hold either 100 or 75 rounds, NOT 40!)
A key figure in the plot who pleaded guilty, Hammond Ku, a resident alien from Taiwan, suggested to the undercover agents that the weapons be sold to "gang bangers," or street gangs, according to an affidavit from a U.S. Customs agent (Special Agent, Matthew King of the San Francisco U.S. Customs Office) that accompanied the indictment.
Ma is one of five Chinese nationals indicted in the case who are fugitives. Two other Chinese nationals who were charged, a former Poly Technologies export manager and a former export official of another state-run munitions firm, NORINCO, have been convicted in China, said Lori Haley, a spokeswoman for ICE in Laguna Niguel, Calif.
"It's still a pending investigation," said Haley. "As long as they are fugitives, the investigation is still open."
Ma's lawyer, Joseph Russinello, said his client was innocent.
He said the Chinese government had "basically cleared" Ma in the investigation that led to the convictions of the former Poly Technologies and NORINCO export officials.
According to U.S. federal court records, four other defendants have pleaded guilty, including Ku. He pleaded guilty in 1997 to illegal importation and money laundering charges, but has yet to be sentenced.
"Poly Technologies is not on any list of prohibited sources, nor is the U.S., under existing law, regulation or policy, prohibited from using Chinese companies to supply weapons," said Yoswa, the Pentagon spokesman. "There are firms within China that are on the prohibited source list, but Poly Technologies is not one of them."
He also pointed out that a U.S. arms embargo slapped on China after the 1989 massacre that crushed pro-democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square applies only to American sales of advanced defense technologies to the communist regime.
An Army official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said Army investigators were aware of the link between Poly Technologies and the 1996 weapons smuggling case. But, the official said, Poly Technologies itself was not named in the indictment.
"We looked at Poly Technologies, not Dynasty Holding. Dynasty Holding doesn't exist," the official said. (Sure about that fellas???)
The official said the background check on the company was conducted by the National Ground Intelligence Center, an Army intelligence agency in Charlottesville, Va.
Poly Technologies was started by the Chinese military as an arms trading corporation. When the government ordered the military to divest itself of numerous businesses, Poly Technologies in 1999 was placed under the central government.
Well, at least the ATF wants to hear your comments regarding relaxing Bill Clinton's STUPID Executive Order of MAY 22, 1994, that FORBID the importation of CERTAIN 'IMPLEMENTS of WAR', like Norinco M-14 rifles, and Norinco 1911-A1 .45 acp pistols, because these weapons, (that are sold by many other manufacturers), were stupidly designated as 'Implements of War' by the illogical CLINTONISTA 'REGIME'!
Further evidence of this STUPID Clinton Executive order, makes it a FELONY to import certain items like 'FIXED-LEG' RPK Bipods, while allowing the import of adjustable-leg bipods - go figure, as S.W.A.T. teams & Police/Military snipers prefer adjustable bipods for uneven shooting surfaces, anyway???
To comment in writing, (as e-mails are ignored by the ATF on these issues)...
CONTACT: Brenda E. Dyer, Dept. of Justice Policy and Planning Staff, Patrick Henry Bldg., Suite 1600, 601 D Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20530, or go to: http://www.atf.gov/forms/notices/05-7476.pdf
For more info on the 'Clintonista Bipod Sting' - see our "Clinton AK-47 Deal" page, that details the 1994 San Leandro, California ATF undercover investigation by ATF Special Agent, Gary Hipple, by clicking here http://www.ak47world.com/clinton.html
Also, despite MANY FALSE ASSUMPTIONS to the contrary, by those who think they know it all, the non-renewal of the September 13, 1994 Assault Weapons Ban DOES NOT MEAN that all restrictions on so-called 'Assault Weapons' have been relaxed -THINK AGAIN- as many of these STUPID HURDLES - that only seem to affect 'law-abiding' citizens' ARE STILL IN EFFECT!!!
Here is what the ATF says on their website: "The provisions of 18 U.S.C. section 922(r) and 27 CFR 478.39 regarding assembly of nonsporting shotguns and semiautomatic rifles from imported parts still apply."
To be further 'confused' at these STUPID ATF hurdles, that only seem to be obeyed by 'law-abiding' citizens, SEE http://www.atf.gov/firearms/091304openletter.htm
Regarding the SHORTAGE of WOLF (RUSSIAN) 7.62 x 39mm AMMO
Apparently, Wolf brand 7.62 X 39MM ammo SCARCE, or is out of stock in alot of areas in the U.S.A., Wolf says the cost of lead has jumped significantly, causing an approximate 38% price increase, that has caused many distributors to seek other brands of Russian 7.62 x 39mm ammo."
SPECIAL NOTICE: THE ATF wants to HEAR FROM YOU!!!
Problems with SAR-1, SAR-2 & SAR-3
TRIGGER SLAP
Q. I just got a Romanian SAR-2 and I have a few minor problems with it.
The first problem is trigger slap. Another guy at the range with an SAR-1
said that he had the same problem until he changed the tigger. Is this
common with SARs?
A. YES!
Q. Next the front sight seemed ok, but the accuracy with wolf ammo as pretty
bad. I guess its the same with all AKs - about 6inch groups at 50 yrds. This
is what the guy with the SAR1 was getting with wolf ammo and what I was
getting with my MAK90.
A. CENTURY ARMS AK-47 VARIANTS CAN VARY WIDELY ON ACCURACY, BUT THE STEYR
HAMMER-FORGED BARRELS ON BULGARIAN SA-93, SLR-95 & SLR-96 RIFLES SEEM TO
OFFER THE BEST ACCURACY FOUND IN AK-47 VARIANTS IN THE U.S.A
Q. I had 2 (out of 500) shells get stuck in the breech of the SAR-2. I
was able to remove the shells by slamming the bolt forward and pulling it
back with force. I think this is due to the lacquer that Wolf ammo has on
it.
Does anyone have any bad experiences with these rifles (SARs) and if so how
did you fix them? Also what modifications/additions did you make to it?
A. Again, this is usually due to the POOR QUALITY CONTROL FOUND IN CENTURY
ARMS AK-47 VARIANTS!
FOR THE REASONS ABOVE & OTHER REASONS, AK-47World.com ADVISES Consumers TO
AVOID THE SAR-1, SAR-2 & SAR-3 Rifles from CENTURY ARMS, unless you like to
gamble with your money, or your life (if you depend on a SAR series AK for
self-defense), OR UNLESS you're a Kalashnikov armorer, or gunsmith qualified
to fix the numerous problems found with the SAR-1, SAR-2, SAR-3, and WASR-10
series of AK-47 variants from Century Arms!
FINALLY, there's a guy in San Marcos, Texas who loves Romanian AK-47 variants, but who assumes that everyone who has trigger slap problems with SAR-1, SAR-2 & SAR-3 Rifles from Century Arms AK-47, will be as adept (with a Dremel tool) as he might be, in fIxing the TRIGGER SLAP PROBLEMS with CENTURY ARMS SAR-1, SAR-2, & SAR-3 AK-47
variants:
Subject: U.S. Troops PREFER AK-47s -
>Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003 20:05:12 -0600
>
>Middle East - AP
>U.S. Troops Use Confiscated Iraqi AK-47s
>Sun Aug 24, 2:15 PM ET
>
>By ANDREW ENGLAND, Associated Press Writer
>
>BAQOUBA, Iraq - An American soldier stands at the side of an Iraqi highway,
>puts his AK-47 on fully automatic and pulls the trigger.
>
>Within seconds the assault rifle has blasted out 30 rounds. Puffs of dust
>dance in the air as the bullets smack into the scrubland dirt. Test fire
>complete.
>
>U.S. troops in Iraq (news - web sites) may not have found weapons of mass
>destruction, but they're certainly getting their hands on the country's
>stock of Kalashnikovs - and, they say, they need them.
>
>"We just do not have enough rifles to equip all of our soldiers. So in
>certain circumstances we allow soldiers to have an AK-47. They have to
>demonstrate some proficiency with the weapon ... demonstrate an ability to
>use it," said Lt. Col. Mark Young, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 67th
>Armor Regiment, 4th Infantry Division.
>
>In Humvees, on tanks - but never openly on base - U.S. soldiers are
>carrying the Cold War-era weapon, first developed in the Soviet Union but
>now mass produced around the world.
>
>The AK is favored by many of the world's fighters, from child soldiers in
>Africa to rebel movements around the world, because it is light, durable
>and known to jam less frequently.
>
>Now U.S. troops who have picked up AKs on raids or confiscated them at
>checkpoints are putting the rifles to use - and they like what they see.
>
>Some complain that standard U.S. military M16 and M4 rifles jam too easily
>in Iraq's dusty environment. Many say the AK has better "knockdown" power
>and can kill with fewer shots.
>
>"The kind of war we are in now ... you want to be able to stop the enemy
>quick," said Sgt. 1st Class Tracy S. McCarson of Newport News, Va., an army
>scout, who carries an AK in his Humvee.
>
>Some troops say the AK is easier to maintain and a better close-quarters
>weapon. Also, it has "some psychological affect on the enemy when you fire
>back on them with their own weapons," McCarson said.
>
>Most U.S. soldiers agree the M16 and the M4 - a newer, shorter version of
>the M16 that has been used by American troops since the 1960s - is better
>for long distance, precision shooting.
>
>Two weeks ago, Sgt. Sam Bailey of Cedar Falls, Iowa, was in a Humvee when a
>patrol came under rocket-propelled grenade and heavy machine gun fire. It
>was dark, the road narrow. On one side, there was a mud wall and palms
>trees, on the other a canal surrounded by tall grass.
>
>Bailey, who couldn't see who was firing, had an AK-47 on his lap and his M4
>up front. The choice was simple.
>
>"I put the AK on auto and started spraying," Bailey said.
>
>Some soldiers also say it's easier to get ammo for the AK - they can pick
>it up on any raid or from any confiscated weapon.
>
>"It's plentiful," said Sgt. Eric Harmon, a tanker who has a full 75-round
>drum, five 30-round magazines, plus 200-300 rounds in boxes for his AK. He
>has about 120 rounds for his M16.
>
>Young doesn't carry an AK but has fired one. He's considered banning his
>troops from carrying AKs, but hasn't yet because "if I take the AK away
>from some of the soldiers, then they will not have a rifle to carry with
>them."
>
>Staff Sgt. Michael Perez, a tanker, said he would take anything over his
>standard issue 9mm pistol when he's out of his tank.
>
>And the AK's durability has impressed him.
>
>"They say you can probably drop this in the water and leave it overnight,
>pull it out in the morning, put in a magazine and it will work," Perez
>said.